I'm sure it's paid downstream to the brokers, sdc since they don't mind giving it to us directly. Also keep in mind that most brokers like Oanda also give you a small percentage based on nothing but account balance every day...basically, a money market account with low interest yield. So you could make a deposit in a trading account and not trade a single thing and make money at the end of the year just from the interest they pay you...it's not much of course.